Museveni, Modi call for UN Security Council reform

The two leaders reaffirmed the need for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including its expansion

The two leaders reaffirmed the need for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including its expansion

President Yoweri Museveni and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi are pushing for reform of the United Nations Security Council.

Modi, who was in Uganda on a two-day state visit, discussed the matter with Museveni and their respective delegations at State House Entebbe on Tuesday.

According to a statement, the leaders agreed on the need to closely engage with regional and international issues of mutual interest and concern.

“The two leaders reaffirmed the need for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, including its expansion, to make it more representative, accountable, effective and responsive to the geopolitical realities of the 21st century,” the statement reads.

The U N Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations charged with the maintenance of international peace and security as well as accepting new members to the UN and approving any changes to its United Nations Charter.

It has powers to establish peacekeeping operations, establish international sanctions and authorize military action through Security Council resolutions. It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

While the Security Council consists of fifteen members, only five countries including Russia, United Kingdom, France, China and the United States-serve as the body's five permanent members.

In recent years, Africa and the developing world at large have been pressing for reform of the Security Council to make it more equitable.

African leaders have been calling for a seat for the continent in honor of its contribution to the UN; African countries contribute over 80% of global peacekeeping forces.

India is a rising global power and the country is ranked world's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP of $2.264 trillion (2016), according to World Bank figures.